“For a certain amount of marketing points of view, Fox actually wants to keep that polarization and say, look, we’re different. ...That is an embedded part of the marketing that surrounded what happens at the news division at Fox that’s been incredibly successful. ...Keeping America divided through media polarization is FNC’s brand strategy."

Jason Easley aptly puts Garrett's full remarks in context:

"When Barack Obama talks about unifying America, he is threatening the very business model that Fox News is based on. Polarization and division are the heartbeat and lifeblood of Fox News. If America ever became more politically unified, FNC would go out of business. A suspicious and divided nation is good for FNC’s bottom line. Fox News does push the Republican agenda, and they do try to divide the nation, because that is how they make money. It’s not just about ideology and politics at Fox News. It’s also about profits, and when polarization stops being profitable, Fox News will cease to exist."

Of course, we all knew this to be true, but it's good to see Major confirm it, and on Morning Joe of all places.

4 Comments:

(1) Your quote is from Jason Easley, not Major Garrett; Easley was commenting on what Garrett had to say about Fox's (and NPR's -- have to be fair) "polarization of American media".

(2) When Garrett (and other mainstreamers) joined Fox several years ago I wondered how long they would last, either as relative nonpartisans tolerated by management or as relative nonpartisans tolerating management.

When Garrett left Fox for National Journal two months ago there were no parting shots, but now it looks like he was just keeping his ammunition dry.